Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 50.16
Liaison Tony Gillund
Submission Date March 27, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Purdue University
OP-T2-22: Snow and Ice Removal

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.25 / 0.25 Michael Gulich
Director of University Sustainability
University Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution implemented technologies or strategies to reduce the environmental impacts of snow and ice removal?:
Yes

A brief description of the snow and ice removal program, policy, or practice:

The Purdue Buildings & Grounds Department is responsible for snow and ice removal on over 20 miles of streets, 80 miles of sidewalks, 10,000 parking spots, and hundreds of curbs, ramps, and steps leading to buildings.

Staging and preparedness are two critical factors early in the snow and ice removal process. The Buildings & Grounds Department constantly monitors the weather conditions utilizing local media, government websites, and close communication with the Purdue Airport. The preparedness phase integrates communication and announcement of snow fleet mobilization with the Purdue Police Department, Purdue Fire Department, and the Purdue Airport.

Once the 2”-3” snow accumulation threshold is anticipated or has been met, the snow fleet mobilizes. Rather than using harsh or corroding chemicals, the product used as a deicing agent is a brine and beet juice solution. In 2011, Buildings & Grounds Department was awarded with the “Effective and Innovative Practices Award” from the Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) for the design and application of a brine and beet juice deicing solution.

When class is not in session, a discretionary reduction in snow removal areas is implemented while maintaining critical areas for the 15,000 employees remaining on campus after the 40,000 students have gone home for Winter Break.


The website URL where information about the program, policy, or practice is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.